Shabnam Rezaei Makes Cartoons Multicultural for PBS
Arthur, Clifford, and Dora the Explorer—make way for Babak, Sanjay, Damaris and Jae—the friends of Mixed Nutz. This animated series is airing in Los Angeles and goes nationwide on PBS this March. Anyone watching will learn a thing about Korean, Persian, and Indian culture while absorbing the usual pro-social lessons of kiddie-tv.
It’s a tale of a few hyphens. Iranian-American Shabnam Rezaei, along with her Indian-Canadian life-partner Aly Jetha founded Vancouver-New York-Los Angeles-based animation studio Big Bad Boo. In addition to Mixed Nutz, they’re also preparing a series on the 1,001 Nights and will soon launch an Amazon-style website, Oznos to sell comic books, dvds, flashcards and books of global culture. It’s all about teaching culture through entertainment.
After starting out in financial software, Shabnam ran a website on Persian culture and then got involved in producing a direct-to-DVD cartoon about a kid called Babak. A total outsider in the TV business, this MBA somehow managed to raise $8 million dollars—and sell the shows station by station.
If the cartoons seem familiar: it’s no accident. Channeling Peanuts, the creators wanted an old-style 2D animation that focuses on characters and story instead of fancy effects. Real kids do the voices too, upping the verite.
What did you wish you knew before starting out?
I wish I had known more about animation and what it takes to do a show. The average person doesn’t know how intense the work is. About 150 people work on the property, so you’re constantly handing the ball to the next group, which means there is real space for them to drop it.
All of that can have a good effect on the show or bring the quality down; it’s a constant battle going from script to final product to make sure your voice is executed property
What was your original goal?
When I first started out with Persian Mirror, it was to do some good. To get the North American market interested in Persian culture and history, to see there’s more to Iran than what’s on the news or what you hear about politics—so they could connect the dots and see that humans are around world are the same
And now?
The same goal exists for me today, the new 1001 Nights is a very international show; we have stories that take place in China, India, and all over.
We want to provide top quality products that our audience can use to learn about these cultures. We are trying to find different ways to help them learn about the world with our cartoons and other people’s products.
What advice do you have for young women coming behind you?
To be persistent—a lot of doors shut in your face, a lot of people say that’s not a good idea, you’re crazy. If you have the conviction this is going to work, don’t give up.
What would you do differently?
I wish from the beginning that I had surrounded myself with experts in every area. Because I was new to the industry, I took a chance on people who didn’t have the experience. It would have been better, if I had admitted to my weaknesses.
Is there a commonality between your financial career and this one?
Yes, managing people, putting a production schedule together, putting a budget together, communicating with clients-- these are all skill that are transferable. A lot of things you learn along the way, Because of Persian mirror, I had taught myself to design a website, to understand layers and drawings. I think in the end, it’s about your passion and not thinking of yourself in a small silo—but using all your skills
What’s your favorite part of your work?
I wake up every day thinking I have to go back to my day job and fear that I’m going to fail, so I keep in close contact with my banking friends—just in case.
Every day is my favorite part; I have to pinch myself, I can’t believe this is my life, that my husband Aly and I run this company.
Interview by Amy-Willard Cross
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